


Prince Or Princess

by love_write_edit_sleep



Series: Through The Fire And Flames [3]
Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Basically a backstory about why Logan is a single Father & where Roman's Mother is, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Murder Attempt?, Roman and Virgil are 9, The Burnt Dread The Fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-19 00:02:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14224734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_write_edit_sleep/pseuds/love_write_edit_sleep
Summary: Ficlet based on The Burnt Dread The Fire.Roman discovers Logan lied to him about his Mother: She's not dead. Roman tells Logan he hates him and runs off, leaving Logan to wonder if he did the right thing, and if Roman's old enough to finally know the truth...Roman and Virgil are 9





	Prince Or Princess

**Author's Note:**

> Ficlet based on The Burnt Dread The Fire. Roman and Virgil are, like, 9ish?
> 
> If you don’t want to read it: Patton and Logan work at a nursery, Roman is Logan’s Son, he and Patton adopted Virgil from his abusive uncle, who happened to be Patton’s abusive boyfriend.

It was a beautiful, quiet, calm day.

Or, at least it had been.

Patton hummed softly to himself as he and Virgil were preparing freshly made cookie mix into little circles on an oven tray. Patton was telling Virgil the story of how he and Logan had met when said husband’s voice shook the house.

“Roman Sanders! You give that back right now!” Patton turned in time to see Logan chasing his Son through the kitchen.

“Boys! Stop, you’re going to hurt yourselves!”

“Roman!” Logan scowled, making a grab for the object in Roman’s hand.

“No!” Roman spat.

“This isn’t up for debate! Give it back!”

“No!” Roman ran past Logan, running back upstairs. Logan growled and chased him.

“Roman, listen to your Papa!” Patton called. Virgil blinked.

“Should we stop them?”

“Maybe… Logan looked a little upset.” Patton whispered. He quickly pulled off his apron, Virgil copying his Dad, and led the anxious child upstairs. They both jumped as a smash resounded from Roman’s room. Patton gasped at the sight.

Roman’s room was trashed, his clothes and covers were on the floor, his chest of drawers had somehow been overturned, his bedside table was on it’s side. It looked like a bomb had gone off, and Logan and Roman both stood panting in the middle of it.

“Give. It. Back.”

“No!” Roman stood his ground. Logan had reached his breaking point, Patton could tell from the way he clenched his jaw, his fists… He knew from Luke that pose usually meant violence…

“Logan, I think you and Roman should have a time out…” Patton whispered, fearing for Roman’s safety. Whatever he’d taken from his Father was obviously upsetting Logan.

“You said mum died!” Roman cried. Patton suddenly realised there was no way he could help in this situation. This was between Roman and Logan. “You said she died but she called!” Roman threw the object he’d stolen, Logan’s mobile, at the man in front of him.

“It was easier than the truth!”

“I want the truth!” Roman demanded, stamping his foot.

“You want the truth? Fine!” Logan spat. “Your Mother never wanted you! She tried to drown you a few days after you were born! She hurt us and she was arrested! That’s why I told you she was dead! Because she tried to kill you!”

Patton could see the fear on Logan’s face, despite the anger in his voice. He’d never heard that about Roman… He’d never known, and now… Why Logan was so overprotective of Roman… It all made sense.

“I hate you.” Roman choked, a sob escaping his throat. Logan fell back a step, a shakey gasp escaping his throat. “I hate you! You’re the worst Papa ever!” He cried, storming out the room, past Patton and Virgil. Logan’s breath grew raspy, grew quicker, heavier… Patton swooped in and pulled Logan into a hug as the older man’s knees buckled and he fell into his husbands embrace with a choked sob.

“Shh, it’s okay, he’s just angry… He’ll calm down…” Patton whispered. Virgil couldn’t bear to see his brother so sad, or to see either of his Dads cry, so he went to find Roman.

* * *

“Roman?” Virgil found the small prince behind the sofa, crying softly into his arms, his knees drawn to his chest. He shuffled next to him. “Do you want a warm hug…?”

“No…” Roman sniffed, but leaned on Virgil’s shoulder anyway. Virgil hugged him.

“I’m sorry your Mum was mean…” Virgil whispered.

“She’s not my Mum…” Roman muttered, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. “Mum’s are supposed to love you…”

“Uncles are supposed to love you too…” Virgil sighed. “And boyfriends.”

“She wanted me to die.” Roman choked. “She didn’t want me at all…”

“But Papa did.” Virgil pointed out. “He wouldn’t have kept you if he didn’t want you. He doesn’t want you to die.”

“He doesn’t?” Roman sniffed. Before Virgil could speak, there was a knock on the arm of the sofa they were hiding behind. Roman peered round to see Logan kneeling on the floor, his eyes tired and red, with a soft smile on his face.

“Could we… discuss the situation?” Logan asked. “I feel we… approached it in the wrong way…”

“Are you going to shout at me again?” Roman sniffed. Logan sighed.

“No. Are you going to shout at me again?”

“...No.”

“Could we go upstairs?” Logan asked, offering his hand. Roman nodded and took it, allowing his Papa to take him away. Patton made himself known.

“Virge, do you wanna finish the cookies?” Patton asked softly from where he sat on the sofa. Virgil looked up.

“Dad… can we talk about Uncle Luke?” Virgil whispered. Patton’s smile fell, but he nodded.

“Sure, Kiddo…” He shifted over the sofa to sit next to Virgil. “What do you wanna talk about?”

* * *

“Sit down…” Logan whispered, squeezing Roman’s shoulder in support as he led him to the bed. He closed the door to the bedroom, ensuring they had complete privacy, before turning to Roman.

The boy looked so small against the queen-size bed, his Prince outfit a size too big, for him to grow into. Logan sat beside Roman, placing his mobile phone between them. Roman stared at it.

“Yes, Roman, the woman who gave birth to you… Deena… She called me this afternoon. She wants to meet you. I told her no. I should have asked you what _you_ wanted. You are old enough to make your own decision about this…”

“What did she do…?” Roman asked. “Before she was arrested?” Logan sighed.

“When she was pregnant with you, we were happy. She had grown attached to the idea that you would be female long before you were born. Your nursery was painted pink without my knowledge. When I reminded her there was a 50% probability that you could be male, she would get angry and strike me.”

“Oh…”

“I kept trying, though, to warm her to the idea that you may be male, but she was adamant that you were female. She got angrier with me, and I with her. We kept having… debates… Then she went into labour. She’d refused to learn your gender at the scans, since she was so certain you were female. But, evidently, you were a boy.”

Logan sighed at the memory.

“I loved you at first sight, it took my 10 minutes to pass you over to her. I didn’t want you to leave my arms. Deena held you for only a minute, handing you back to me when the Nurse told her you were a boy. I held you the entire time, right up until we went home. You were so small, asleep in your infant seat.”

Roman smiled.

“When we arrived home, she told me she wanted a bath. She went to the bathroom while I lay you in your cot. I went downstairs to prepare lunch for myself and Deena. There was… crying, through the baby monitor. I got worried, and went to see what was wrong. Deena had taken you from your cot and…” Logan looked down, fidgeting with his hands.

“And she was holding you under the water. I grabbed her, then I grabbed you. You screamed ‘bloody murder’… She yelled at me, hit me, blamed me for the fact you were born male, so I hid with you. I locked us in a cupboard and you started crying again... and I cried with you. The ambulance arrived and caught Deena threatening to kill us both. She was arrested, and you and I were taken to hospital.”

“I… I’m sorry…” Roman choked, wiping his eyes.

“Whatever for?”

“For being a boy…” Logan scooped the boy up and sat him on his lap.

“Listen to me, very carefully.” Logan whispered. “You have nothing to apologise for. You didn’t have the choice to determine what gender you would be. I don’t love you any more or any less than I would have if you were born female. However, selfishly, I am somewhat glad that woman didn’t get to raise you.”

“I don’t hate you.” Roman suddenly sobbed. “I don’t, I promise I don’t…”

“I know.” Logan whispered. “I know, we were both upset… I apologise for raising my voice to you.”

“I’m sorry too…” Roman whispered.

“Roman… whether you were born a prince or princess, whether you wish to remain a prince, or become a princess, or non-binary royalty, I will never love you any less for it.” Logan picked up the phone, holding it out to Roman. “Deena was released from prison yesterday. Her number is on the first screen after you unlock it. If you wish to call her, do so.”

Roman looked at the phone, then Logan, then the phone. He passed the phone back to Logan.

“She didn’t want me… so I don’t want her.”


End file.
